36 On The Run

(Nathan POV)

Reaching my hand into the mirror, I feel a resistance as my hand enters the reflective surface. It feels like reaching a finger through jello or something gelatinous in nature.

The surface wraps around my hand as I try to keep the mirror from shattering. The last time that happened yesterday, it cut off my arm, which grew back, but it was a waste of biomass, even if it was barely a percent of it.

I had stayed overnight in this place as I did not want to rush out of the city, and I knew that they would be watching for my taskmaster outfit and the face I was using. But those were mostly excuses, as I really wanted to perfect the use of my mirror powers. 

While it may not be the safest nor the fastest means of travel around the world since the range of my power lies on the nearest reflective surface and how easily I can distinguish between them.

The mirror world is an interesting place as it's just quite literally like an endless Dome of never-ending mirrors, and what makes it a bit difficult is that originally, I couldn't even see through them, so I would be jumping blindly through them if I did. I would rather not end up on the opposite side of the planet.

If I had a cloning ability, I might be able to scout out the mirror world and determine which areas led to which parts of the world. However, I'm hoping to develop the ability to connect the mirror in front of me to other mirrors based on memory. 

Right now, though, I am trying to extend my hand from the mirror I am holding through the mirror on the opposite side of the room.

Thankfully, the rogues had many mirrors in their hideouts that the mirror master could use for himself if they needed to escape custody. And while I was slightly disappointed that I could not absorb the weather wizard to gain his weather manipulation abilities, it's not as if I won't be able to get to him eventually.

So far, I have managed to get my hand through the mirror after a few hours and then a couple more appendages with my work overnight. Truly not needing to sleep is a boon for efficiency.

Now, I am attempting to stabilize my form in the mirror world. According to the memories of the mirror master, he needed a decent amount of time just for his body to adapt to the mirror world and develop a means to keep others from needing to adapt to it. 

Not everyone could adapt to the mirror world without side effects relating to mental stability or instabilities, in this case, developed over a long exposure to the place.

It may have to do with how the mirror world is structured or simply how unreal it seems, as the normal human mind is simply unable to grasp being in the mirror world for too long. For me, though, with Inviolate and the adaptability of Blacklight, it is no issue.

So now I step into the mirror world and focus on summoning the mirror that was in front of me. Slowly but surely, one of the mirrors floating in the space flies towards me and stops in front of me, and looking into it, I see the warehouse hideout. Stepping through it, I walk back into the hideout, but due to my lack of experience, the mirror shatters as I exit it, but it cuts off my left leg.

Slowly hobbling on one leg, it soon reforms as my leg that was cut off disappears. Yes, I did make sure to program my black light cells to destroy any genetic material I am not able to reabsorb. I did not want to take the chance of the DNA lock failing me. 

After reforming my leg, I continued working on improving my travel ability, as I needed this as a means to escape if necessary. So I picked up another mirror, moved it to the same spot as before, and tried the same thing. 

Honestly, if I did not have the regeneration of the blacklight virus, this would be so much more difficult. What I was doing was basically suicide, as even the original mirror master would spend months just trying to step through the mirrors safely.

I did not have such a luxury of time as, at any moment, I could be pulled back to my universe, so I practiced and practiced as my travel became more and more stable over time.

(Barry Allen POV)

I have been a hero for years now. I have taken down gods and madmen, yet each one had a motive I could understand. Some big plans that they had in order for their goals to make sense. Even the Joker, in all his chaos, could be understood in the fact that he just wants to cause chaos.

Yet this Taskmaster has appeared from nowhere and was, for one, saving the kids from being blown up but then apparently eating people?

My thoughts, even moving at hundreds of miles an hour, could not understand this guy's deal. But what made me somewhat worried was how he demonstrated the powers of those he ate. I did not even want to think about how that felt, but now we had a person who could possibly travel through any reflective surface and gain powers based on who he ate.

He was a monster, but one that was seemingly all over the place. When I sent the information to Batman, he could only say, "I have my satellites and cameras worldwide set to ping him if he shows up. We have a face and a costume, but Flash, make sure he doesn't get a hand on you. We already lost Metropolis."

Smiling to myself, I said, "Thanks, Bats, but have you heard from Superman?"

The lack of an answer worried me, but then Bruce would say, "Nothing yet, but I have eyes on the fortress should he appear again. Just make sure not to trigger him emotionally. The last thing we need is an angry Kryptonian. Stay vigilant Flash. Batman out." he then hung up as I left the rogues at the CCPD.

I almost felt bad for Snart as his sister was in a very unstable state without her ribbons keeping her tied to her body. Luckily, I made it in time to stop that skull guy from killing her. Now, to find him, as he could not have gotten too far.

So I sped off and searched the city. As I went from building to building and found nothing, I tried to remember the hideouts the rogues had before and decided to check. I then focused my search on the warehouse district, and while they all seemed quiet, I heard the sound of shattering glass after a few seconds and decided to check there.

(Nathan POV)

The sound of crackling electricity and pure friction entered my ears, and I immediately stopped what I was doing and went up into the rafters while pulling a mirror next to me. And not a second too late as after climbing up top, the Flash ran through the wall using his phasing ability.

I had already disposed of the broken mirrors by throwing them in the dumpster near the building. After he entered, he looked around and said, "I know someone's in here, so why don't you show yourself, and we can talk this out? Maybe get some coffee before we have a conversation on why you are in an old rogues hideout."

As he sped around the building, I phased through the roof and ran along the rooftops while holding the mirror in my arm. Thankfully, my training and feather falling made my steps much quieter, so I placed the mirror in the next warehouse.

I did not wish to fight The Flash yet because I was nowhere near his level of speed, and his speed force aura would keep him protected from me simply by grabbing him with force. 

While I didn't have to worry about him killing me by pulling out my heart, which wouldn't really be effective, I did not want to deal with a league member just yet. And The Flash isn't exactly known for his super senses if he had any in this universe.

So I focused on the bathroom mirror at the train station. After a few seconds, the mirror appeared before me, and I jumped in. 

As I fell through, I saw a man in front of it. After I appeared right in front of him, I waved my hand in front of him and said, "You saw nothing, and will go about your business."

"I will go about my business. I have a train to catch." In somewhat of a trance, he then left the bathroom as I transformed into another look.

 I exited the bathroom and waited for the train to leave, as I could simply phase into an empty car. With the camera scrambler, they could not even see me riding the train.

Although the fact that I had just escaped The Flash so easily did bring a smile to my face, and now, based on the train's heading to the next stop was Jump City, which was a problem, as long as I did not do anything rash, I should have no issues.

So I sat down on a chair as the train got moving and waited for the trip to end. But as I looked at the TV, I saw my face, or at least my old face, along with my taskmaster suit, on a wanted list. 

Under the pictures they had, it said that anyone who saw me should report them to the police for murder and obstruction of justice. I blame the wonky logic of this universe for that because who else other than the police could see a man acting in self-defense and call it murder? 

This may present some issues, but such laws don't really matter at this point. I mean, truly, the police in most comic worlds are utterly and completely useless.

I mean, they are mostly useless for meta reasons. If the police were competent, what need do they have for costume superheroes and vigilantes? 

Besides, if the heading of this world is going where I think it is, they will have bigger issues to worry about soon enough. Namely, a certain Superman will try to improve the world for better or worse.